The Dark Ages of HiMe
by uNuur
Summary: What happens when the great nation of HiMe fall into hand of savages? Will the HiMe people take it back?
1. Taste of War

No, this isn't exactly like 'The Dark Ages'(Or 'The Middle Ages'). It's somewhat based on the dark ages(or maybe I just pulled it out of my ass and made it into a story? XD), but seriously. If you came here expecting the whole entire story be the Dark Ages, well I'm sorry, but it's isn't going to like the dark ages. I basically made a fictional world that is sort of _like_ the middle ages. If you see anything wrong with the terms, feel free to correct me.

**Disclaimer: I'm a hobo. **

**Note: **I'm not very good with Latin. Lol

_The Cirulo Mortis - Circle of Death._

_Amphitheater- Basically a colosseum._

_Sarneanto- A knight who functioned as a leader of small squads of knights._

_Kaijun- Translates into 'Strange beasts'_

_VICTORIA NOSTRA ERIT- Victory shall be ours!_

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There once was a powerful nation where beautiful castles and legendary monuments stood. That nation had many cities and towns, and many of the monuments in those cities and towns were indeed beauties, but they lacked in meaning. At the heart of the nation, the great HiMe City, stood one monument that did not lack meaning. The Cirulo Mortis.

There it stood, its once beautiful perfectly placed bricks that piled on top of each other to form the circular amphitheater, where the bricks would curve up to make a half oval, forming a pattern that would continue until it was a full circle. That beautiful work of art was now destroyed. It was destroyed by these men... no... these beasts, who dreamed of conquering this land and its people because of their greedy minds.  
Why had this once powerful nation fallen against such beasts? It was when the nation was at its weakest state. The people were starving, many had grown ill, and their will to fight had fallen. Knowing this, the savages used dirty tactics. They would starve innocent people, cutting off their imports and supply lines and trapping them in their own cities!

The people were so desperate. During their traditional games they would have in their own amphitheater, the gladiators that have died in these games would have been sold for meat! Betting their pennies and coins for the meat of their own people.  
Once the people were too weak to fight, the savages would enter the city and slaughter everyone in sight. Blood would flow like a river throughout the city. Their hunger for blood would not stop until they had taken all of this nation.

When they had taken down the capital, their thoughts of victory was quickly destroyed. The men who had attacked did not realize that there were other beasts who seek the same prize. They had the same determination, and the will to fight for the prize.

The men quickly stripped the Cirulo Mortis of the mineral that had built it,ignoring the beauty of this work of art. An amphitheater where many had lost their lives in. They used the bricks and stones to create defenses against beasts who had the same savagery. Hopefully, the Hime goddess shall make them face the wrath of their actions.

Of course, I have no worries against those savages. They don't usually attack towns with small treasures. We would sometimes hear their footsteps as they marched through the forest that surrounds our town, likely toward larger cities and towns. But that's the closest we've got to encountering them.

I closed my eyes as I leaned back into the tree, sighing loudly. I felt the soft breeze tickle my cheeks, and the natural fragrance of the earth filled in my nose, causing a relaxing sensation. I wish this moment could last , I think I could die here with a smile.

I opened my eyes again and took in the sight in front of me. I've lived here all my life, but the beauty of nature still takes my breath away. The waves crashing against the rocks, the way the ocean seemed never ending...it was always moving, and made me feel at ease, but most of all, the way the ocean seemed never to be _tamed_.

Inhaling the fragrance again, my eyes started to get heavy. When I couldn't resist any further, sleep overtook me, swallowing me into a pit of relaxing darkness.

(^_^) ^(^_^)^ (^_^) ^(^_^) (^_^) (^_^)^ (^_^) ^(^_^)^ (^_^)

I don't know how longed I slept there, nor did I care. But I did care about one thing, and it was this _annoying thing_. It kept trying to pull me out of the relaxing darkness. I didn't want to go yet.

"Natsuki!" A voice called. "Natsuki, wake up!"

"No…" I grumbled.

Suddenly I felt strong hands gripped onto my shoulders and started shaking me violently. My eyes flew opened to meet the intense dark orange eyes of my sister, Nina. Her body language and the intensity in her eyes told me something was serious.

"Natsuki…" she said, panting slightly.

She stared at me with such intensity in her eyes that it could burn a hole through your head, but something else was in those eyes. There was fear.

"What's wrong, Nina?" I asked. Something important must have happened. She knew better than anyone that waking me up during my sleep is like asking for a black eye.

"The Hime Knights!" Nina exclaimed. "They just arrived in our town!"

"What! Why would they visit such a town like ours?" I was shocked. Our town was small and poor. We were a simple farming town that could barely afford to pay our taxes. Everyone had to pitch in or else starve.

"I think they might have been injured. All of their armor was covered in blood and I think one of the knights lost his hand." Nina said. "Father told me to get you and hurry back as soon as possible."  
I nodded and quickly stood up. Something felt off about this, and I knew Nina felt it, too. My sister and I always had a strong connection. We didn't need words to communicate with each other; all we had to do was look in each others eyes.

Without a word, I quickly dashed toward the path leading back into our town. It was hard to run at full force because of the thick trees that cover the land. If you were not careful, you might slam into a tree and break your nose. I learned it the hard way when I was a child. Nina would still tease me about it years after it had happened.  
When we were a stone throw away from the town, I spotted a few dozen people standing around, forming a large circle. I knew I needed to go find father, but my curiosity took over and I told Nina I would meet up with her later.

I reached the crowd and tried my best to get through without getting shoved. Luckily, our town did not have many people so I got through the crowd with only a few shoves. I was about to move past a tall man with extreme muscles, who I recognized was Alard, but stopped when he suddenly turned towards me.

"Natsuki!" He cheered and ran over to give me a bear hug. The air was knocked out of my lungs.

"Hey, Alard." I gasped and smiled. Besides his giant height and his large muscles, Alard was actually a very friendly and silly person. He would laugh, sing, dance, and act like a child. But aside from being silly, he had a side to him that spoke authority. He would use it whenever the town's people were in danger or they had gotten into a fight. He kept order and peace. Some would say he was the town's protector, and I had to agree.

"I guess you are curious about the knights too, huh?" He laughed and put me down. "They sure have shiny armor!"

"Yeah." I laughed.

I made my way to the front of the crowd with the help of Alard. It was actually quite easy to make it through giant crowds when a 6 foot- almost 7 foot tall man who could crush people like an ant was standing next to you.

When we were at the front of the crowd, my mouth dropped instantly. The knights' armor was black, but was filled with golden patterns that made the armor shine brightly in the light. The gauntlet was filled with precisely detailed, different types of symbols, and the arming point had five golden spiked like points that lay on top of an axe, and shaped black metal plates as if they were wings that curved inward. The breastplate was covered in gold designs showing 13 warriors, each with a sort of weapon in their hands. There was also another symbol on the breastplate; it was the symbol of our Hime nation.

"How I wish to be in one of those!" Alard laughed. "But I'm afraid I'm too big."

I laughed with him. "Me too, Alard…"

I did wish to be in one of their armor. They were beautiful as well as an honor to wear such rarity. But I knew I would never get my hands on it. I was just the daughter of peasants, not of noble blood, and I never had the training of a knight. However, do not be mistaken… I am a fighter.

I can fight. I can protect those of importance to me. I can fight against bandits who threaten to rob my town of what riches we have. I was also quite skilled with the long sword, though I've had only used the wooden long sword that Alard made. I was rather sure a real long sword wouldn't be much different.

I didn't realize I was staring at the knights the whole time until a pair of lime-green eyes caught my own emerald eyes. The knight smirked when she saw me jump a little in surprise. I felt the blood rush to my face.

She was wearing the same kind of armor as every knight in her group was, except her right gauntlet had claws…_really _long claws. Even her hair color stood out. Not many had dark ruby hair like hers. I felt more blood rush into to my face when she winked at me.

The knight and me kept eye contact for a while. Even Alard started to noticed and raised his eyebrows in a questioning matter.

"Do you know that knight?" He asked.

"No." I answered nervously.

"Are you sure? You seem to be staring at her a lot…"

"I-Its just her gauntlet." I stuttered, obviously lying.

"Oh, yes. I have never seen a gauntlet like hers before." Alard smiled.  
I let out a sigh of relief when Alard did not continue questioning me. He instead turned his attention to the knights. I tilted my head downward to let my hair cover my burning red cheeks. People have told me it was a blessing to be able to have the ability to turn from pale white into bright red instantly. I call it a curse.

A sudden noise brought me back to reality. I snapped my head back up to find the noise coming from a knight in front of me. I watched in horror as the town's physician tried to remove an arrow from one of the knight's shoulders. I winced as I heard the painful wailing scream coming from the knight. Tears were streaming down the knight's face, he was yelling at the top of his lungs for the physician to stop.  
The red knight just shook her head and motioned for the physician to continue. Her expression was of pure boredom, not even a hint of sympathy. I suddenly felt _angry_. Her comrade was injured, probably because he was protecting her pathetic ass with his own life. And the red head just stood there, acting as if the knight was nothing but a burden.

My hands were curling into fists and uncurling as my breathing went ragged. I think Alard felt the anger that surrounded me, because he quickly tensed up, ready to stop me from lunging myself at the red head.

"Natsuki…" He whispered into my ear. His hand on my left shoulder. "Relax…you're not going to help with anything by killing yourself in a fight."

His words did not help my anger. How would he know I would lose? Was he saying I was _weak? _Even if I could win against the knight, I knew better. Attacking a Hime Knight will not only get me beheaded, but my family to. I can not bring harm upon my family, especially because of my own stupidity. I forced myself to relax.

"Yes I know, Alard." I said.

He gave a smile, but his body was still tense. I guess he figured it was better safe than sorry.

The physician was finally able to remove the arrow. He started stitching the wound, the knight was finally able to calm down. His breath was now steady and calm. I felt happy for him, but that happiness disappeared instantly. Something wasn't right. Why were the Hime Knights here?

"Alard, why are the Hime Knights here?" I spat out. I doubt he knew either, but I just had to ask someone. "Aren't they supposed to be out there fighting the Kaijuns and end this bloody war?"

"The sargento told me they needed a place to rest before they marched off to kill those…'bastards'." He answered, coughing slightly at the last word. He pointed toward the red knight, indicating she was the sargento. "That's all I know."

"Alard, I'm worried…I know the Hime Knights are suppose to be the best, but what if a legion of Kaijuns followed them here?" I asked. This had crossed my mind many times. The Kaijuns could easily have sent a spy and followed them here. And what then? There were about two-hundred knights here at the most. There's no way they could defend our town against a legion.

"I do not know, Natsuki." Alard said. His expression was grim. "All I can say is pray that is not the case."  
I squeezed my eyes shut. I should have never asked. His words only made me more nervous. The thought of losing my family was just too much to bare. I decided to go find Nina and father before they started worrying about me. I told Alard good bye and fought my way through the crowd again.

When I reached our small family cottage, I was assaulted with hugs and smiles. I laughed as our dog, Duran, jumped up and licked my face. Many families didn't have dogs. They were too costly to keep alive, but luckily, I was able to teach him how to hunt on his own. In return, he would share some of his meat with us, so it was a win win partnership.

"Natsuki!" My mother exclaimed. She ran over to hug me. "I was so worried…"

"I'm fine, mom." I smiled. I honestly didn't get why they were so worried. They knew I always went to the cliffs.

"When we saw the Hime Knights and you didn't return…I thought something had happened to you." Father said. His tone was full of concern. I suddenly felt bad for making them worry.

"I'm sorry to have worried you, father." I said.

"We are just glad you are safe, Natsuki." Mother smiled.

"Of course she would be safe, mom. She would have slept through a war." Nina laughed.

I smirked, flashing her a goofy grin and giving her a playful shove. "Same can go for you.

You are even _harder_ to wake up!"

She laughed. I wished for this moment to last forever…the never ending happiness…but my dream would be crushed. Right then…right there…a scream from the townspeople would crush that dream.  
They screamed one word and one word only.

Kaijun.

The chaos had come in an instant. Everyone was running in confusion, screaming at the top of their lungs. The knights were grabbing their weapons and preparing for battle. It was suicide. Our land covered at least a few leagues before the thick forest completely surrounded us with mountains on each side, making us an easy target for ambushes. My heart skipped a few beats when the Kaijun army emerges from the trees. You could see soldiers for miles…they were cheering a war cry that made my knees buckle.

"KAIJUN! KAIJUN! KAIJUN! _VICTORIA NOSTRA ERIT_!" They chanted as they raised their flags after each cheer.

When they were closer, I saw that their foot soldiers were in the front and their horsemen were in the back, arrows all lined up and ready to fire.

"NINA! EVERYONE! IN THE COTTAGE NOW!" I screamed. Nina had already caught on and grabbed mother while I grabbed father, pushing them both into the cottage. Nina and I didn't have time to make it into the cottage when someone yelled one command I feared the most.

"FIRE!"

I lunged at Nina and tackled her to the ground, pinning us behind a neighbor's cottage. I knew what was coming. I tried to block it out, but their screams were just too much. I heard arrows connecting with flesh, soon followed by the cries of people who had been hit and the cries of people who watched their loved ones die, and they couldn't do anything about it. I felt Nina bury her head into my side, trying her best to block it all out as well. She started to cry.

I desperately wanted to cry like her, but I couldn't. I needed to be strong… for her…for everyone. I inhaled sharply; already smelling the scent of blood. I bit back my tongue, trying hard not to scream. My tongue started bleeding, but I didn't care. This blood couldn't even compare with the amount of blood shed today.

When the cries stopped, I took a peek and instantly regretted it. My eyes widened when I saw the orange glow on top of their arrows. They were going to set this town on fire, killing everyone in it.

"Nina!" I yelled. The tears were still streaming down her face, but she looked up at me. The intensity back in her eyes. "We have to go…NOW!"

The only way to escape was the beach. There, we could swim past the mountains that blocked us from another town, and once we get there, I knew a place in the caves we could hide.  
I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment and snapped them open again. I felt that time was slowing down as I dashed for my cottage, grabbing my parents by the shirt and yelling at them to follow me. I understood how the red knight felt now. There was no time for sympathy…this is war.

My mother and father used to be great runners, but time had worked against them. Their old bones could not keep up with the speed and they tripped and stumbled. I had no choice but to drag them to the beach. Running even faster, I heard my mom scream out in pain as my grip tightened.

"N-Natsuki!" She cried. "Slow down!"

I didn't care. There was no time for apologies. I felt so numb. My heart was pumping so hard I thought it was about to burst through my ribcage. How can people stand war? How could they start a war for such a pathetic reason like greed? Lives were worth more than a couple of gold coins.

"FIRE!" They cheered.

I quickly glanced over my shoulder. The arrows were already in the sky, some were on fire, some weren't, but it didn't matter either way. Getting hit wasn't an option.

My lungs were on fire, but I quickly picked up the pace, pulling my parents with all my might. Panting even harder, I heard another wave of screams from the townspeople from those who were unlucky enough to be hit. I tried my best to hold back my tears, but I felt a single drop of wetness roll down my cheek. Blocking all those agonizing screams was just impossible.

"Natsuki! Leave us! You must go!" My mom cried out. How could she say that? I love her, and she loves me. I refuse to leave her for my own sake!

"No!" I shouted as I tightened my grip around her hand.

Suddenly something hit my ankle, immediately sending a wave of pain through me. I stumbled, landing face first into the ground. The pain was agonizing but I couldn't stop. I tried standing up, but a jolt of pain made me scream and fall onto my knees. Nina rushed to my side, along with father.

"GO!" I screamed at them, but they wouldn't budge.

I screamed louder for them to go when I saw the horsemen loading another wave of arrows. Why were they just sitting there? Were they seriously thinking of dying with me? Tears started streaming down my face as I kept screaming.

My eyes widened and my screams stopped when my parents did something unexpected. When the horsemen fired another wave of arrows, my parents pulled me and Nina into a hug. I was shocked, but I also felt happy…we would die together.

No, we wouldn't die together. When the realization hit me, it was too late. Arrows pierced into their bodies. They were protecting us.

"Mother! Father!" Nina cried out.

I was too shocked to do anything. I just stood there, wide eyed as tears rolled down my cheeks. I felt a hand on my left cheek wiping away the tears. When my eyes focused, I saw it was my mother. She had a smile on her face; her left hand was reaching for something under her tunics. She pulled out a necklace that I had never noticed before.

The necklace was a large red diamond, the largest I've ever seen. In fact, it was larger than a penny. There were small black diamonds placed perfectly on the gem to form the Hime symbol. It was odd for a peasant to own such a thing. Even if peasants were able to get their hands on such a necklace, they would have sold it for a large sum, but my mother kept it. It must have been important to her.

"Natsuki…I beg you, take it." My mother gasped. "Keep it safe. Do not show it to anyone. Do not let it fall onto the wrong hands."

She placed the necklace into my hands and squeezed them shut. Those were the last words my mother uttered to me before she died an honorable death. She protected those of importance to her, where I had failed.

I started bawling, I couldn't hold it in anymore. I buried my face into her chest. I screamed her name over and over as if to wake her up from a long nap. I wanted to stay there…I didn't want to move. I didn't care if the Kaijuns found me. I just didn't care anymore.

I felt a hand on my shoulder, suddenly pulling me away. I thrashed to get out of the tight grip.

"Nina, let go of me now!" I yelled.

"No!" Nina hissed, her voice harsh and strong. I've always thought I was the strong one in the family, but I guess when the push came to shove, I wasn't all that strong. "How are you going to fulfill mother's wishes if you are dead?"

I wanted to argue, but I knew she was telling the truth.

The arrow was still in my ankle, but we had no time to stop and take it out. My right arm was over Nina's shoulders as she carried me closer to the beach. Each step- or hop in my case, sent a jolt of pain through my body. I was panting heavily when we were only a stone throw away from the sand and far away from the town.

Nina suddenly stopped and placed me next to a tree so that I could lean onto.

"Nina, let's keep going. We have to get as far away as possible." I gasped.

"But we will have to swim and I don't think you can swim in your condition!" Nina said.

"We will have to make due." I said. My voice was cold and commanding.

"Fine, but you will have to hold on to me. I don't want you to drown for being so arrogant." Nina grinned.

I grinned back, but a sudden whimper caught my attention. I snapped my head to the direction of the sound. Something was brushing against a thick bush. We held our breaths as we waited for an enemy to emerge from the bush.

It wasn't the enemy at all. It was the furry head of Duran. He was whimpering softly. I motioned for Duran to come towards me so I could check if he had been injured.

When he was close enough, I quickly picked him up and check for wounds. I didn't find any wounds, but he was still whimpering. I heard Nina snickering loudly. I raised an eyebrow and she pointed toward his tail. I almost burst out laughing too when I saw a tiny burnt mark at the tip of his tail.

"Oh, Duran." I smiled. I patted his head a few times. "Nina, I think we should go now."

She nodded and helped me toward the ocean water. Duran followed quietly. I winced when we reached the ocean water. Note to self: Don't go swimming in the ocean with an open wound. I bit my bottom lip and forced myself to deal with the pain.

"Are you sure you can do it?" Nina asked. I guess she saw the pained expression on my face.

"Yes." I lied.

I took one last breath as we plunged into the water. I tried my best to help her, but I failed miserably. The waves were strong as they knocked against us. I could see Nina having trouble keeping our heads up. Glancing over my shoulder, I could see Duran swimming toward us and I sighed. My Duran was an idiot.

Wave after wave hit us, we coughed violently, trying to get the water out of our lungs. Nina was exhausted and I felt blood draining from my head. It was as if the gods were tormenting us.  
As if it was the gods themselves confirming my thought, a giant wave crashed into us, making us smash into the mountain wall. The last thing I saw was Nina slipping from my grasp before I blacked out.

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Thanks to my beta reader, Piper5481. You have been a LOT of help whenever I have my brain farts and idiotic moments.

Also if you see any words just smashed into other words, well it's not my fault. When i typed this story, it had paragraphs, but when i uploaded it. ALL the paragraphs were smashed together into one giant wall of text. I tried my best to fix it, but if i miss any, i'm sorry.


	2. Your Fat Ass got us Caught

For those who aren't familar with my writings, i like to let my chapters hanging. Lol. The idea of my readers forming a crowd and chasing me with pitchforks is awesome.

ALSO, I'M SORRY PIPER! I CHEATED ON YOU WITH ANOTHER BETA D: THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH YOU, IT'S JUST HIS- HIS CAR! IT'S LIKE FUCKING AWESOME! Nah, just kidding about the car part, but i still cheated on you.

Omfg, i cheated on the guy that i cheated on Piper! THREESOME! _

**Warning: There is still no Shizuru. :/ Sorry guys. There will be Shizuru in the next chapter!(i hope XD)  
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**Disclaimer: I'm a hobo! WOOT! **

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I felt the sun heating my skin as I lay there on the beach- or at least that's what I thought it was. I woke up to the taste of sand in my mouth. It was salty and gritty, and I could feel the sunlight on my yet closed eyes. I had awakened moments ago when I felt someone dragging me out of the warm wetness. I would have snapped my eyes open to check if it was an enemy, but I was too exhausted to do so, and it was probably Nina anyways.

Sleep was slowly overtaking me. I knew it was best to get some rest in my condition. I slowly let the relaxing darkness overcome me when suddenly, I felt something pushing down between my breasts. There was something warm covering my mouth as air was pushed into my lungs. Someone was kissing me.

My eyes immediately snapped opened only to meet the familiar lime-green eyes. It was the red knight. The blood rushed into my cheeks when I realized our lips were still connected. I quickly shoved her off me, rubbing my lips on my arm furiously.

"What the hell!" I heard the red knight yell.

"I should be me the one saying that to you!" I shouted. She had just kissed me and she had the nerve to say that?

"I was giving you the kiss of life you dumb cunt!" The red knight said, her eyebrows twitching angrily.

"STOP IT!" A familiar voice yelled.

I snapped my head toward the sound to see Nina sitting a finger length away. Nina was soaking wet from head to toe. From the looks of it, she hadn't been out of the water for long. Her short hair was in a tangled mess, her tunic was plastered against her skin revealing her undergarments. I suddenly felt the urge to cover her up before anyone saw her. God knows what I would do if a man sees her like this, chances are, I would end up cutting his man parts off with my own hands if I had to.

"Sis, look at your ankle…" Nina said, confusion was in her eyes for some reason.

I followed her instruction and glanced at my ankles. They were perfectly fine. I wiggled my toes and moved my ankles slowly left and right to check if any bones were broken. Nope, none, but the movement cause me to wince slightly. She had looked worried when I started moving my ankle, but everything was fine. Was she worried that I didn't have shoes on?

"Nina, I'm sure I'll do fine without shoes on…" I assured.

The red knight rolled her eyes and snorted. "Are you really that dumb?"

"Shu-"

"Natsuki, you don't remember the arrow?" Nina interrupted.

"Arrow…?" I asked. The sudden realizations hit me and I quickly glanced at my ankle again.

It was gone. The arrow that had pierced into my ankle was gone. There in its place was a fully healed ankle, not a scratch on it.

"…It's gone…" I said.

"Did you two both hit your head on some rocks?" The red knight said, sarcastically. "I doubt she just magically healed after being shot with an arrow."

"But I saw it with my own eyes!" Nina exclaimed.

I was too shocked to say anything. How could that be? I was sure I wasn't dreaming about being shot by an arrow. I remembered it all so clearly… My heart started racing as I recalled the memory. I squeezed my eyes shut and placed my hand over my beating heart. My eyes snapped open when I felt something under my tunic.

I quickly reached into my tunic to pull it out. It was the necklace my mother gave me before she died. There on my palm it shined brightly under the sun, revealing its true beauty.

The red knight and my sister suddenly stopped arguing when the light reflected off my necklace and shined brightly in their eyes. My sister stayed silent and calm where the red knight looked like she was panicking. Her eyes were wide as if she had seen a ghost.

"Where did you get that?" The red knight blurted out.

"My mother gave me this before she died…" I answered, the feeling of sadness overwhelming me.

"Than how exactly did your mother get her hands on it?" The red knight asked, her body tensed.

"I've never seen it until she gave it to me." I answered. Why was she suddenly so interested in my necklace? "And why does it matter?"

The red knight hesitated before answering. "It doesn't matter at all."

I glanced at Nina and she nodded. The red knight was lying. What did she know about the necklace? I wondered.

"Lets move before the Kaijun army finds us." The red knight said as she got up. Unlike Nina, she wasn't soaked from head to toe. She was still wearing her armor, not a scratch on it.

"You abandoned your soldiers to fight to the death while you ran away like a coward, didn't you?" I asked, my tone full of disgust.

"Yes." The red knight said somberly. My eyes widened slightly in surprise. I insulted her and she agreed with me. "My soldiers knew we wouldn't make it out of there, so they forced me, in a sense, to run away. I refused, I would not run away like a coward, but sadly my loyal knights had other plans. They tied me up with ropes and sent a foot soldier to carry me out of the battlefield."

"I see…" I replied sympathetically. "Lets go Nina."

I beginning to stand up when a jolt of pain from my ankle made me cry out and fall onto my knees. Even with the arrow gone, the pain persisted. I heard the red knight snicker, and I struggled to keep myself from crying out. My pride stopped me from giving the red knight satisfaction.

"Natsuki! Are you alright?" Nina asked as she rushed to my side, putting her arm around my shoulders.

"Y-yeah…" I moaned.

"Nao! Come help me!" Nina shouted over my shoulder.

"Who's Nao?" I asked. Was there someone else here?

The red knight snorted and gave me a smirk. "Who else idiot? I'm pretty sure I'm the only one here besides you two."

"Shut up!" I growled. Can't she stop being a bitch for one second?

Nina sighed. "Just get over here and help."

Nina placed my arm around her shoulder and gave me a reassuring smile. She sent Nao a glare before motioning for the red knight to hurry up. I chuckled as the red knight rolled her eyes and murmured something under her breath that sounded like 'Bossy fish' or 'Bossy bitch '. I'm sure it was the second one.

I felt the red knight's cold armor under my arm and her cool fingers around my waist. My entire body was sore, but the cool touch of the armor helped me relax a bit. Sadly, the relaxation ended when Nao smirked and lifted me up. I wanted to scream, but I bit on my bottom lip to distract me from the pain coming from my ankle.

"Natsuki, are you o-"

"Alright!" Nao interrupted with a grin. "LETS GO!"

I let out a scream when I felt my left foot scrape against a rock as Nao continue to run, dragging me along with her. I wanted to yell at her to stop, but the pain made me forget how to form words. Instead I continued to scream.

"Nao! Stop!" Nina exclaimed. "You're hurting Natsuki!"

"Wha? Can't hear you Nina!" Nao said, obviously LYING.

I was amazed, and frightened by how fast Nao could run even while carrying my full weight and her armor. It was as if they tossed boulders at the knights and expect them to carry it for miles.

"Gosh, Natsuki," Nao grumbled, finally stopping. "you're such a cry baby."

I grounded my teeth together as I held back the urge to slap her across the face and say, "Gosh, Nao, you're such a cry baby." I settled for a death glare. Hearing the familiar footsteps and snapping branches, I turned my head around a bit to see Nina jogging toward us.

"I said…you're hurting…Natsuki…" Nina said, panting.

"No way." Nao smirked. "I am so sorry! I never intended to hurt you at all."

My eyebrows twitched. Where was the relaxing darkness of unconsciousness when you need it? I'd take being knocked unconscious over Nao any day. Sighing heavily, I glanced around to check my surroundings and distract myself.

All I could see was the tall trees stretching up toward the sky, blocking the sunlight from reaching the forest's floor causing gloomy shadows that dances as the branches moved; their taunting arms swaying in the wind as it stripped them of their leaves. Moss dripped from the sickly dark trees like decayed flesh. I could smell the aromas of wild flowers and the damp soil. The wildlife seemed as though it was holding its breath. Not a sound, not even the chirping of birds, the hummingbird's hum, not even the irregular clicks of insects. They weren't holding their breaths, they were hiding.

"Nina, lets go." I said, my tone was dead serious. "Now."

Nao rolled her eyes and gave me the universal 'Who died and made you boss?' expression. I shot her a smirk before turning my head to see Nina nodding. Nina wrapped her arm around my waist and placed my arm around her shoulder.

"Nao, didn't you say there was a Hime camp near by?" Nina asked.

"Yeah. It's only a league away, we'll probably make it there before sun down." Nao answered.

"IF the Kaijun don't find us." I murmured.

"Lets hope your fat ass doesn't get us caught then." Nao smirked.

Nina sighed. "Lets just go already."

To my amazement, Nao kept her mouth shut. It was odd and made me wonder: What the hell happened between those two while I was unconscious? I would just have to wait till we get a chance to be alone. With Nina and Nao both helping, I was able to walk- well hop, my way along. Even though the trees were blocking most of the sun's light, I could feel sweat forming on my forehead as we continued to march.

I felt the atmosphere change before us as we walked. Moss grew thicker, shadows deepened; time itself seemed to slow. The sun loomed lazily over the horizon of hoary trees, depressed, falling with exaggerated slowness. My breathing was ragged, luckily, with the sun falling, it meant one thing: we were getting closer to the Hime camps.

"Do not worry. It's only a league or less away." Nao said, reading my mind.

"Natsuki, do you want to take a break?" Nina asked, looking at me worriedly.

As much as I wanted to keep going, I honestly needed a break. Nearly drowning and a magically healed ankle that hurts like hell takes a lot out of you. I nodded. Nina gave me a smile before motioning to Nao to stop at a nearby tree.

I sighed happily when I felt my butt connected with the soft ground as I leaned back into the rough texture of the tree. We've been walking for at least 2-3 hours with no breaks and I was already feeling the burn. I could only wonder how Nina and Nao could look so unfazed, not even a sweat on their foreheads. I let out a satisfying moan as I stretched my stiff muscles. I glanced over to Nao to see her doing the same except her gaze was lingering elsewhere, they were staring intensely at Nina.

I raised my eyebrow slightly in a questioning matter as I looked back and forth between the two. What the hell is going on? I cleared my throat loudly bringing Nao back to reality. I giggled when I saw Nao jump at the sound of my voice as if it was the strangest thing she heard.

"Uh, lets, uhm, go." Nao murmured.

"Why are you in such a hurry?" I smirked. "Why don't you sit here and enjoy the scenery?"

"I would prefer to sleep on a soft bed instead of muddy ground," Nao scowled. "but if you prefer to sleep on the muddy ground, feel free to stay behind."

I would love to taunt her farther, but I had to agree. Sleeping on the muddy ground wasn't exactly comfortable. I held back a chuckle as I shrugged innocently. Nina gave me a questioning look.

'I know what you two have been doing!' I mouthed to her, smirking.

'What?' She mouthed back.

Seriously, does she think I'm an idiot? I rolled my eyes. Clutching the tree, I struggled to get up and back on my right foot. I wonder, why is it that an arrow just magically disappear from my ankle, but not the pain? Wouldn't it make more sense to have both of them disappear?

I felt the familiar arm wrapped around my waist, and the strong shoulders under my arm supporting most of my weight. And the cool armor on my other side.

As we continued to march, the sun finally disappeared and its golden light replaced by the darkness and light of the moon. Without the moon, I probably couldn't even see my hand in front of my face, and I was rather sure Nao would of used that opportunity to smack me.

I took a peak at Nao out of the corner my eye. Her eyes and body language were intense. The lime-green eyes were moving back and forth, scanning our surroundings. She was grounding her teeth together with such frustration. I was about to ask what's wrong when I heard a branch snap. I froze.

"What's wrong?" Nina asked.

Before I could answer, Nao shook her head, telling me not to say it. "Nothing. I was just thinking about something." I lied.

Swallowing hard I forced myself to hop on. I never heard the snapping of branches again, but I knew. Someone was following us.

I inhaled sharply. My ears were flooded with the sound of my heart pounding against my chest, making it impossible to stay calm. Why are they hiding? Why can't they just jump out and yell boo already? I hate it when I feel like this. The worse part about being the prey is waiting for the lion to strike, not the moment they strike.

"Soo, how's your ankle?" Nao asked calmly. "Can you uh, run?"

"Nope."

This is going to suck. Hard.

I'm in the middle of being stalked, hunted, and I'll probably get an arrow through my ass instead of ankle this time. Could it get any worse?

Yes, yes it could.

As if on cue, Nao shoved me to side causing me to slam into Nina as a few arrows whiz by. I heard the sound of steel against steel as I watch Nao use her gauntlet to defend herself against the sword of another figure who was a blur of black. The figure swung his sword wildly, obviously showing his lack of skills as Nao was able to block all of his blows even with just the claws on her gauntlet. The moonlight flashed on his face long enough for me to see the smile on his face as Nao fell for his feint attack. He did not take hesitate to attack the opening as he slammed his shield into her breastplate, sending her flying backwards, landing with a THUD!

I felt Nina tense, her mind was torn between staying with me and running toward Nao to help her. Sadly, she did not have to choose. A sudden blur of black tackled her, separating me from her as I felt a hand gripped my tunic, pushing me into a tree. I felt my back connected with the hard surface, sending a wave of pain through out my body causing me to yelp out in agony. My visions was all blurry, my head was throbbing, my breathing was ragged, I could even feel a couple of my ribs poking against my side. I struggled to look up at my attacker. I instantly regretted it.

There, he raised his sword in the air, ready to kill me at any moment.

I swallowed hard as I closed my eyes, waiting for the move that would end my life. Instead of hearing the sound of steel connecting with flesh, I heard a humming sound. The hum got louder until the sound of steel connecting with wood drowned it out. I snapped my eyes open to find my attacker had miss and instead hit the tree, the blade right above my head.

How could he miss? I didn't care what the answer was, he was struggling to pull the blade out, leaving a opening for me. I used what was left of my strength to send my right foot right into his man parts. He let out a yelp and collapsed onto the ground, his hands clutching his pride.

I quickly stood up, ignoring the pain in my left ankle and swiftly pull the sword out effortlessly as if it was made of air. I've never killed anyone in my life, but that was about to change soon. I gripped the hilt of the sword and took one last breath before I raised it above my head and slash down at my attacker.

The sound, the smell, the feeling, and the sight was all too much. Even if they have taken the things I loved the most. My mother, my father, my friends, my town, everything. They were cruel, so why should I feel bad about killing them? Because, killing them is becoming one of them.

The smell of blood filled my nose, making me dizzy. I dropped the sword and collapsed on my knees. I felt like passing out, but I had to go after Nina and Nao. Crawling on my knees, I struggle to reach the dark blurs that were moving. I didn't get far until I felt the hilt of a sword hit me on the back of my head. My head slammed down on the ground from the force of the blow. I saw a glimpse of red before the darkness overcame me. The same comfortable darkness I yearned for.


	3. Boiled Alive

There's no Shizuru on this chapter either. Sigh, I decided to do something else than my original plan. Sorry folks, Shizuru WILL make a splash in a few chapters!

Blame my editor for taking so long to publish. He made me watch Paranormal Activity with him, and I was too scared to go pee. So, the chapter was delayed.

* * *

Darkness. It is cold, it is isolated, it is dark, it is an endless hole, it is lonely, it is sad, it is unknown, it is overwhelming, it is comfort.

Light. It is warm, it is fearless, it is bright, it is filled, it is satisfied, it is happy, it is known, it is overpowering, it is scary.

Light can let you see things so clearly. Light lets you see the bright smiles of your friends and family, it lets you see beautiful things, it lets you see fun moments with your friends, it lets you see happiness, it lets you see the ugly truth. Light lets you see life. Life hurts. Darkness, it doesn't let you see anything, it surrounds you, it doesn't let you feel, it doesn't let you see the bright smiles, it doesn't let you see the beautiful things, it doesn't let you see happiness. Darkness, it surrounds us in icy comfort of the abyss, it protects us from life.

* * *

I felt my cheek pressed against the cold hard ground, and rings of ice around my wrist. My eyes slowly opened. Everything was blurry, but even so, I could make out the iron bars. My hands were chained behind my back against the walls. I let out a painful sigh. Why couldn't I have died back then? I would have loved to spend an eternity in the darkness instead of laying on the dirty floor of a prison cell, staring lifelessly at a stone wall, moaning over the deaths of my loved ones.

I lost track of how long I've been here. There was no light, except for the burning torches that were lit outside of my cell. I could have been here for hours, days, weeks, I did not know. I squeezed my eyes shut for another nap when I heard something that I feared the most since I've been here.

_Clop Clop Clop Clop_

My eyes instantly snapped open at the sound. It was the sound of the soldiers' boots walking down the stone pathway. The soldiers would walk down this same pathway everyday and each time they walked, the sound of their leather boots would soon be drowned out by the screams of their victims.

No matter how far my cell was away from the victims, I could hear their desperate cries for help. I could hear the leather whips connecting with their flesh, ripping them open, and spilling their blood with each hit. I could hear the soldiers' boots crushing their bones, and I could hear their agonizing screams of pain when their skulls were smacked by dirty pink panties.

My heart started pumping violently, my breath was beginning to turn more ragged as each second passed, the sound of the footsteps got closer. I tried to use the cold to numb out all my senses, to just block all of this, but my head refused the numbness. My head was too busy praying that it wasn't Nina to give into the numbness.

_Clop Clop Clop Clop_

I inhaled sharply, the cold air stinging my nostril slightly.

They were getting closer.

_Clop Clop Clop Clop_

Breathe. I told myself. Nothing's going to happen to Nina. I thought.

I sat myself upright, I pulled on the chains slightly. I knew these chains would not break even if I used all my strength, but I just couldn't bare the thought of losing Nina to those filthy scums. She was the only thing left in my life, and I was not going to let her go without a fight.

I slowly got on my knees, my head rising up from the ground, my eyes looking straight ahead. I took in a deep breath before I placed my right foot, and then left foot on the hard ground. I squeezed my eyes shut, forming a scowl as I felt the veins on my skull pop as I pulled on the chain. My wrists felt like they were on fire as the chains tightened, my arms felt like they had been ripped out of their sockets. My whole body wanted to collapse back into the cold ground and lay there, but I couldn't stop. I was tired of feeling useless, I was tired of being a burden, it was my fault we were caught in the first place.

Breaking these chains might not do anything, but I needed to know that I wasn't useless and that I could actually do something instead of being a burden to everyone. I let out a yelp of pain when I felt my feet slipped and I collapsed on my knees. I was panting hard, sweat was starting to fall down my forehead onto the hard ground, tears soon followed. I was useless after all.

As I stayed there crying on my knees, my head hung down in defeat, a sudden loud hum filled my ears. It was the same hum I heard when I was drowning, it was the same hum that had saved my life from the sword of an enemy. I did not know why, but an urge suddenly made me stand up once again and pull at the chains. I felt stronger…No, I was stronger. The hum got louder as seconds passed by, my eardrums felt like they were going to burst. The loud hum finally stopped when I suddenly fell forward and landed on my face.

"Ugh…" I murmured. "That was stupid…"

I used my left hand for support as I used my right to rub the bump that was now on my forehead. I froze. I quickly spun around to see the chains on the wall gone. My mouth dropped open as the realization hit me. That hum, it did this…Why…How…? Was it the power of the necklace?

"Hey! What the hell are you doing!" An angry voice shouted.

I spun my head around to see the three guards standing outside of my cell looking at me as if I was an idiot. Which, I probably was. My heart started beating violently against my rib cage as I struggled to come up with an excuse. I did not want my skull to be smashed in.

"I uh…" I mumbled. One of the guards was already taking out his key set and had started unlocking the cell door. "I-it fell!"

Yes, a perfectly believable lie.

"I am sure it fell on its own." The guard unlocking the door said sarcastically.

I swallowed hard when the guard pushed the door forward letting the other two rush in. My already burning arms were quickly grabbed and without waiting for me to even get up, they pulled me forward causing me to stumble back to the ground face first. I let out a painful moan when the guard whacked me on the head, probably causing a second bump.

"Hurry up before the sargeanto gets mad at us!" The guard outside of the cell warned.

The two guards holding my arms let out a grunt before continuing to drag me out of the cell. I decided it was better to not fight them plus, I was rather curious what their sargeanto wanted from me.

Maybe it wasn't such a great idea to let them drag me. I felt the edge of the smooth rocks scrape against my butt, causing me to flinch in pain each time. Ignoring the pain, I tried my best to scan the dark cells for any sign of Nina. All I saw were bodies laying on the cold ground, their faces pressed down, most of them probably dead. What if Nina were one of the bodies? The thought caused me to shiver as the realization had dawned on me. I've never believed in gods or goddesses, but right now I had my eyes closed as I prayed for Nina to be alive, and not one of those in the dark cells.

I chanted the same prayer over and over in my mind for how long I did not know. I kept chanting despite the pain of my butt hitting hard surfaces. It felt like I was being dragged up a staircase.

The darkness under my eyelids were soon brightened as the sunlight hit my face. I immediately opened my eyes to find grass. Lots of it. I blinked. What the hell?

The dark ceiling, the cold hard ground, the iron bars, the darkness, it was all gone. I stared at the grass, dumbfounded. How did I manage to get out of the prison I called a hell hole and get here? Did my prayers work? I glanced at my side to find the strong hands still laced around my arms. Nope, my prayers did not work.

"You," One of the guards said. "get up. I'm not carrying you all the way to the camp."

I did as I was told and slowly got up. I sighed heavily when I realized running away wasn't an option. They have Nina, and all I have to defend myself is air and grass. They have swords and probably an army of soldiers. A sudden push nearly made me stumble, I gave the guy a glare before balancing myself again. I would love to give him a punch to the face right now, but sadly, my hands were still chained together. At least dragging the chain across the grass wasn't very challenging and exhausting.

I could smell the odor of burning wood mixed with the gagging odor of dirty men. I winced at the smell as I struggled not to vomit. I was amazed at how immune the guards next to me were at the smell, they did not wince nor struggle to keep whatever was in their stomachs from coming out. The odor only grew stronger as we marched closer, I could already make out the tents and sheds.

I have to say, their camp was huge. There were probably hundreds of tents and sheds, the people were all busy either sharpening their weapons, cooking meals, playing some sort of game, or practicing their swords against each other. It was chaos as I was pushed and shoved, occasionally bumping into a few men. I felt like a piece of meat placed in front of hungry lions as the men around me all paused at what they were doing and stared at me.

I swallowed. I could handle the staring, that was fine, but when they're staring at me and sharpening their axes and making a stabbing motion indicating I would be easily chopped into pieces if I tried to do something. That, I can not handle. The tension, the silence, the occasional sound of steel grinding against steel was only making my heart beat more rapidly.

My heart started pounding harder as I watched a shirtless man raise his tightly gripped hand around his axe handle up in the air, his eyes completely focused on me as he swung down hard, cutting right through the piece of meat, and nearly piercing though the hard wood. Before I could glance away, he brought two fingers up toward his neck, and made a cutting motion. Oh joy.

I was too distracted by the glares coming my way to notice a rock the size of two clenched fists right in front of me. I would have been fine if I just merely tripped, but the world wasn't as easy as that. Instead I tripped and knocked into someone, causing both of us to stumble to the ground. I could feel his knee connect with my broken rib as we landed.

I couldn't even let out a moan as I was immediately pulled off of the guy and pushed down to the ground a few feet away. Luckily, I wasn't thrown again and I was finally able to let out a moan.

"You ignorant bastard!" A guy yelled, helping the man I knocked down up. "Do you know who this is? This is the king's son!"

My mouth dropped open and stayed open as I heard those words. The king's son? Shit…

"Ahh, it's quite alright." The prince said to the man next to him. "Well, Tate, I trust you with these soldiers."

"Yes, sire." Tate said, bowing his head.

"I shall be leaving now." The prince said, his lips curled into a perfect smile.

He glanced down at me, his eyes flickered with a hint of annoyance for a second before returning back to their usual charming appearance. Fake was the word I would describe him as.. My regret of knocking into him instantly disappeared as I gave him a loopy sided grin.

"If you are not careful, you might trip and die, sire." I said mockingly.

"Ah, thank you for your concern." He said, the fake smile twitching slightly. "Well, I must hurry to the king."

On cue a stable boy quickly brought a horse for the prince. Bowing his head probably more because of fear than actual manners, he said. "Sire, here is your girl."

The stable boy gripped the reins and pulled with all his might, but the horse only moved slightly. The horse whined, resisting the boy's pull, but luckily some guards joined in and helped him pull the horse toward the prince. I could see why this was the prince's girl, her black hair matches the prince's own hair perfectly, her strong muscles made her look more like a beast than a horse. Basically, a perfect horse.

Carefully handing over the rein to the prince, the stable boy moved out of the way as the prince mounted onto the horse. His dashing smile still on him as he gracefully got on. Oh, how I just wanted to smack the living shit out of him.

Slowly turning his head toward me, he spoke with such authority. "Ah, Tate. I forgot. Please make sure this girl here gets the correct treatment for being so nice that she'll go as far as warning me to be careful, or I might trip and die in these rough terrains." It didn't take an idiot to find out what he meant, I was dead.

My knuckles turned white as I gripped the chain harder, struggling to keep my mask of anger and cockiness. If I was going to die, I'd rather be known as 'the peasant who dared mock the prince' than 'the peasant who coward in fear '. I could already feel the eyes of the Kaijun soldiers staring at me, waiting for me to taunt the prince and surely say something that will end my pathetic life.

Luckily, the prince decided he had other things to do besides tormenting me. With a small kick, the horse galloped forward, followed by other men who I guessed were the guardsmen. Standing a few feet away from me the man named, Tate, slowly turned his head toward me, his smile gone.

"I guess you HiMes are ignorant." He said flatly. "A trapped spy like you should learn how to shut themselves up."

Spy? How could he possibly mistaken me for a spy! Torn up peasant clothes should of hinted something far from being a spy.

"And I guess Kajuns like you are as dumb as shit." I hissed, my face forming a scowl. "I'll learn how to sh-"

The sudden speed of his backhand connected with my right cheek quickly snapped my jaw shut, causing me to bite my own tongue. I flinched at the pain, quickly closing my mouth to comfort my bleeding tongue.

"Let's see if you're willing to continue with your lie after I'm done with you." He growled. "You! Get me the water!" I turned to stare at the boy he was pointing at. The boy quickly ran to get whatever Tate had told him to, tripping a few times as he seemed to be afraid of displeasing his master, like any other slave boy I've seen.

The stinging pain was quickly replaced with a sudden panic as I struggled to find out what he meant by 'water'. My eyes widened in fear, my breathing quickly picked up as I tried to break the chains apart, only to be doomed and chased down by the soldiers, but I didn't care right now. The idea of not drowning again was worth getting tackled by a few dozen men. Watching the smile on Tate's face only made me damn myself more over my tongue. I hated the fact he could see the fear in my eyes; the ragged breathing, and my beating heart only made it worse. It seems so stupid that I could easily control my hands and legs, yet I can not control my stubborn emotions. A panicked animal is the first one to be taken down, after all.

It wasn't long until the slave boy returned with a vat full of hot water, the hot steam slowly rose into the air as though it was trying to reach me. The only thought that came to my mind at the moment was 'Screw being the calm animal!' They're going to boil me alive!

Stumbling backwards, I slammed my back against one of the guards. His comrade immediately responded by rushing at me, his weapon raised, but I was quick to kick my legs, knocking the guard to the ground. Forcing myself to rise, I shook my body and the chain violently, attempting to loosen it, but to no avail. I could hear Tate's order for the guards to hold me down, and I knew they would. Fighting hundreds of soldiers by myself was just pure stupidity, but I was certainly not going down without a fight. Or maybe I'll get the punishment of being hanged, certainly better than being boiled alive like a freaking chicken!

"Bloody bastards! Get your hands off of me!" I cried, spitting out all the curses I know and learned from Nao.

One of the guards tackled me from behind, pushing my head against the ground smearing the mud across my face. I quickly rolled onto my back before he could react, I spit my blood covered saliva into his face. Sadly, it didn't do much to get him off me. His face was instantly filled with rage, wiping the spit off his face, he raised his hand and his fist quickly connected with my cheek.

I howled out in pain, but I was silenced as they shoved a piece of wood into my mouth. My eyes started to get watery as the pain of the punch was still there, mixed with splinters of the wood. They flipped me upright, their strong hands on both sides of my shoulders holding me down as they unchained my right hand. My eyes widened in fear as they pulled my right hand toward the boiling water.

"Let's see how brave you are after this you worthless spy!" Tate mocked me, he grabbed my hand as he motioned for the soldier to let go. Dropping a small rock into the boiling water, his eyes wandered away from the stream toward me, smirking slightly. "It's simple, really, just grab the rock and pull your hand out before it falls off."

I only trembled and groaned in response. My hand was only inches away, but I could already feel the heat radiating off of the vat. Without hesitation, he plunged my hand into the vat. Instantly, it felt as if my whole hand was engulfed in searing pain, the pain was excruciating. I trembled violently, tears were streaming down my face as I tried to cry out, but I only ended up biting on the wood, causing the splinters to dig deeper into my tongue. I desperately forced my hand to grab the rock, but it was impossible. All I felt was the burning pain, but I continued to search for the rock blindly, grabbing only emptiness. I thought the searing pain would last forever, but then I felt nothing. And that was when the humming of the necklace started.

Out of no where, I felt my hand enclose on the rock, and without missing a beat, I pulled my lifeless hand out of the boiling pit of hell. The man Tate was still holding my hand, and his eyes were wide. Was he amazed I actually made it or was he disappointed? I thought, dumbfounded, but the loudness of the hum snapped me out of my thoughts. Following his gaze, I stared at my hand, it was stripped of its skin and I could see the bone. But, sadly, that wasn't the worst part of it. The skin was rapidly healing, weaving the tendons and skin back onto the bone.

"Witch!" The guards gasped in unison. I would have gasped along with them, if only I wasn't the so-called witch.

I knew the necklace could heal wounds, but I didn't know the full extent of its powers. I looked at the guards, and tried to tell them it was a misunderstanding, and it was just the power of the necklace, but the wood distorted my voice and only gibberish came out. Even so, I really had a hard time believing they'd actually listen to my explanation that it was the necklace doing the 'witchcraft', and not me.

"Sir! We must kill the witch!" The guards cried to Tate, whose eyes were still wide in amazement and shock. Tate opened his mouth, but only to close it again.

I shook my head desperately, my eyes pleading them not to kill me. I cursed the necklace for healing me at such a time.

"Burn her!"

* * *

uNuur: Hey, I'm about to post the chapter, okay?

Editor: No! No! Wait! I think I have to pee!

uNuur: ...Are you serious?

Editor: Yes!

uNuur: Go pee...

Editor: No!

uNuur: ...

Editor: 'Kay, going to pee!

*uNuur waits*

Editor: 'Kay, I'm ready!

uNuur: Yay!

Editor: I didn't wash my hands just for you to.


End file.
